TORONTO - Contract negotiations between the CAW and Toromont are continuing past the July 1 12:00 a.m. strike deadline in an effort to reach a new collective agreement. "Our objective is to bargain a fair contract for our members without taking strike action, and we firmly believe we can do that," said Roland Kiehne, President of CAW Local 112.

Negotiations between the union and company took place throughout the night and will continue in an effort to reach a tentative agreement, Kiehne said. The company has threatened to disregard worker seniority, weaken employment conditions and fully eliminate union representation as part of its plant relocation plans.

The CAW represents 250 workers at the Toromont facility in Concord, Ontario, located just north of the City of Toronto. Workers at the facility assemble, repair and distribute heavy tractors as well as grading and mining equipment.